Writing Flier - RGFL

Teaching key writing skills Guided writing
a. Planning
Writers spend time preparing, mulling ideas over, finding
out information, generating ideas and organising their
thoughts before they start to write. Teaching children to
create a simple, manageable plan for their writing can
help them improve because it frees their attention from
worrying about ‘what to say next’.
b. Drafting
Key skills for committing the text to paper include:
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rehearsing sentences and parts of sentences
revising before and during writing
concentrating, imagining and not being distracted
away from the flow of composition
constant rereading to help compose what happens
next
selecting words for maximum effect
creating, controlling and varying sentences
using connectives to make the text cohere
selecting stylistic devices, such as using similes or
alliteration, to add power
using the plan to help write the next section
using any checklists, prompts or referring back to
models used in reading
remembering to complete any specific targets.
c. Revising and checking
Writing should be read aloud to hear how it sounds.
Pupils should assist each other, developing the skills of
reading critically and considering sensitively what is
effective in a text and how it might be improved. It should
be routine for children to check for aspects of writing that
they find difficult.
Attitudes to writing
Keen writers:
have positive self image as a writer
participate in shared sessions
concentrate during writing
reread as a reader
show enjoyment and commitment.
fluent handwriting and presentation.
department epartment for
education and skills
Use guided writing to secure the link between phonics
and basic spelling and handwriting in the early stages.
Later on use guided writing to teach children who have
not made progress through whole class teaching, or to
challenge more confident writers.
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What interferes with composition?
Composition will be made more difficult if certain basic
skills are not automatic. Young writers need to have
secured:
a range of spelling strategies
fluent handwriting and presentation
the ability to create sentences with correct
punctuation
the ability to create, and write from, simple plans.
Marking writing
Identify effective examples to show to the class. Select a
few examples that have weaknesses common to most of
the class. Use these to teach revision. Revision should be
focused on improving a selected aspect. Comment on
aspects of the writing that are effective. Then identify
parts of the writing that need to be improved – underline
weak words, clumsy sentences, poorly constructed
paragraphs, or where the text needs reorganising.
Celebrate progress and set new targets.
National Curriculum and NLS Objectives
The NLS objectives link with and support work in the rest of the
curriculum in several ways. We can:
� Bring content knowledge and reading/writing activities from
the curriculum into the Literacy Hour. Work in the Literacy
Hour is then linked to real purposes for reading, writing,
speaking and listening.
� Teach language and literacy in both the Literacy Hour and
other subjects, weaving the work in subjects and the Literacy
Hour explicitly together.
� Apply and practise the skills learned in the literacy our in new
contexts in the rest of the curriculum.
� Use language work done in other subjects to access
children’s English abilities.
Linking QCA Units of Work and NLS Writing Objectives
In order to help with planning, links have been mapped between
NLS objectives and existing writing activities within QCA schemes
of work for history, geography, science, religious education and
design and technology.
Visit the QCA website:
� www.qca.org.uk/ca/subjects/english/literacy
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Ref: DfES 0532/2001 © Crown copyright 2001
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